Table construction



Jan. 12, 1943. M. A. WllzKlNSON 3,

. TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2 sh ee ts sheet 1' F/k, J nus-115301:

3 MIC/MEL AW/LK/NSON v.2 Horn/e5;

Jan. 12, 1943. M. A. WILKINSON v ,2 5.

' TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 N 1 E ri- I l Patented Jan. 12, 1943 UNi STTES TABLE, CONSTRUCTION Michael A. Wilkinson, Owego, Y., assignor to Stakmore Co., 'Inc., Ne'w-York,-N. -Y.'-, 'acorporation of New York FIC Application August 2, 1940, Serial No. 349,4 5;

2 Claims. (01. 311-96) are capable of being stored in a relatively small space when not in use.

"Folding tables, that is tables with folding legs, are of course old in the art as are extensible tables with folding legs. However, the prior art tables of which I am aware all possess certain disadvantages, such as folding leaves, hinged tops and general instability due to the fact that the'tab-le legs do not support the outermost corners of the'table when it is extended.

My invention provides a folding leg extensible table which may be used as. a conventional fourplace table when it is not extended, 'but which may be extended to provide a six-place table as required, and which, when so extended has the legs thereof at the outermost corners of the table, thereby providing a maximum of stability together with the greatest possible seating space and leg room for the occupants or users of the table.

' My improved table, when extended, oifers sub stantially twice the top surface area of thetable as compared with its contracted position. Another important feature of my invention is that the table may be extended into its complete usable position by a single motion of the operator, and likewise, when the table is to be contracted, it is necessary only to raise one top section a distance sufi'icient'to clear the other top section and push the two sections together,

whereupon they automatically latch to provide a substantially square table of the type ordinarily used for card playing and similar purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved slide mechanism for an extension table; which slide mechanism will fold compactly and will at the 'same'time permit the table top to lie perfectly flat and horizontal when the table is extended.

Still another object is to provide a slide mechanism adapted to cooperate with a hinged table top section, which top section is also capable of being lifted a limited distance vertically to accommodate the other top section thereunder when the table is contracted.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description and'accompanying drawings where- Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a table made tion of the legs omitted for clarity. The table is here shown in the folded or contracted position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows, and showing details of the hinge mechanism for one top section.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View showing a latching mechanism for the two table top sections when the table is extended.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line t-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig; 5 is a bottom plan view of the table in its extended position, the-major portion of the legs being omitted for Clarity.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the table in its extended position.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 1-7 of Fig. 1 showing details of the slide mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section showing details of the folding leg mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like munbers denote like parts, ill and II indicate a pair of three-sided frame members which are extensibly connected by a pair of slide assemblies 12 and i3 which will be hereafter described. A top member hi is rigidly attached to' the frame member H and additionalrigidity of the top member I4 is ensured by a pair of transversely extending bracing members [5 and It which are secured to the edges and underside of the top member It by any suitable means such as screws or by ueing.

A top member ii is pivotallyattached to the other frame member Iii, by a pair of spaced hinges i8,"one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 2. Each hinge'lt comprises an L-shaped member 9 having one of its arms 20. rigidly attached to the frame It], and the other arm 2| projecting'inwardly toward the center of the table. The arm 2! is provided with a vertical slot 22 for a purpose to be hereafter described. A generally Z-shaped strap 23 has a'short horizontal arm 24 rigidly attached to the underside of top member 47. The strap'then' extends downwardly-in a generally vertical direction 25, for a predetermined distance and then 'extendsinwardly in a generally horizontal direction 2.6,and for a distance sulficient to overlap a substantial portion of the brace l5 when the table is not extended. The horizontal portion 26 of strap 23 carries a transversely extending pin 2] which projects through the slot '22 in armil. The pin 21 may be provided with a head 28 for retaining the pin according'to my invention, with the major por- 555 in the slot. The pin 21 moves freely in the slot 22 and the construction is such that the table top l1 may be both tilted around the hinge l8 and also raised vertically for a distance determined by the length of the slot 22. This distance should be such that the table top section [4 can be freely disposed under the top section l1, when the table is in its collapsed position.

When the table is extended and the two top members [4 and I! lie in the same horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 5, they are maintained in alignment and against accidental displacement by one or more devices, here shown as two in number, each comprising a strap 30 attached to the top member I4 and carrying at its projecting end a pin 3| which projects into a recess 32 provided in the top member l1 near its edge.

Each of the frame members ID and II carries two foldable table leg assemblies 33. The particular leg assembly here employed forms no part of the present invention, per se, and is fully described in Patent No. 1,776,346 issued Sept. 23, 1930, to C. A. Bufiington. Briefly, each leg assembly comprises a rod 34 extending diagonally across the corner of the frame member and supported by the frame. A leg portion 35 is pivotally mounted on the rod 34. The leg portion 35 is preferably flat so that it will lie within the confines of the table when it is folded. When the legs are folded they lie diagonally across the under side of the table and within the limits of the frame members I and II.

A latch 36 is pivotally attached to the adjacent frame member as at 31 and a spring member 38 tends to bias the latch 36 toward the table top. The outer end of the latch 36, which is notched, engages a pin 39 which extends across a slot 39a provided in the upper end of the leg member 35. The leg in Fig. 8 is shown in the unfolded position. When it is to be folded the projecting end of the latch 36 is released from the pin 39 and the leg 35 is then folded inwardly across the table and the latch itself, aided by the spring 38 assumes a substantially horizontal position with its outer end lying within the confines of slot 39a.

The table is latched when it is in its unextended or collapsed position, by means of a flat rod 49, which is pivoted as at 4| to the brace I5. One end of the rod 40 extends through the frame member H to provide an accessible handle portion 42 and the other end which is notched as shown at 43 extends beyond the inner edge of top member M for a distance suificient to engage an L-shaped strap M attached to the under side of top member 11. A spring 45, attached to the rod and the brace l3, tends to bias the rod 40 normally toward its latching position.

The slide assemblies l2, [3, which permit the extension of the table a predetermined distance each comprises a member 50 fixedly attached to the inner side of frame member In and a similar member attached to the braces l5, [B of top member [4. Two additional members 52 and 53 have a tongue-and-groove connection with each other and with the members 50 and 5| respectively. The slide assemblies are shown in the extended position in Fig. 5 and in their collapsed position in Fig. 1. Limit stops are provided to limit the distance which each member of this assembly can slide relative to the other member. A slide assembly as herein described is not per se new, but I have found that when used with a folding table of the type just described wherein one top section overlies the other top section when the table is folded, the top surface of each slide element should be tapered slightly, as shown in Fig. 6 to ensure a snug fit of the top sections when the table is folded or unextended. This tapered slide construction also permits the twotop sections of the table to lie perfectly flat in the same horizontal plane when the table is in its extended position.

In the operation of my device, assuming the table to be in the collapsed position shown in Fig. 1, with the top section I! overlying the top section l4, and the latch 40, 44 in the locked posithey are vertical to the top sections.

the top section I4 is completely withdrawn from beneath the top section H, the latter section, because of the hinge construction 18 drops into horizontal alignment with the top section I4 and is locked in place when the pins 3| enter the recesses 32. It will then be seen that when the table is extended as shown in Fig. 6, the four legs are disposed at the four outer corners of the table, thus ensuring the greatest possible stability and providing maximum leg room for the users.

To oollapsethe table it is merely necessary to raise the top section I! and push the two top sections toward each other until the latch members 4B, 44 engage each other. When the table is thus collapsed it affords a substantially square table of the type used for card-playing and similar purposes. When the table legs are folded in, the table is ready for storage, occupying but slightly more room than the conventional folding non-extensible card table. 1

While I have shown a specific embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that other forms might be adopted, provided they come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An extension table comprising a pair of frame members, a top member supported by and attached to each of said frame members, one top member being attached to one side of its frame member, said top members lying one above the other when the table is unextended, a pair of foldable legs carried by each of said frame members, slide means separably connecting said frame members, said slide means comprising a pluruality of interlocking and relatively movable members having tapered upper surfaces, said foldable legs being movable with each frame member to which they are attached whereby the legs support the table at its outermost corners when the table is extended.

2. An extension table comprising a pair of frame members, a top member supported by and attached to each of said frame members, means for pivotally attaching the outer edge of one of said top members to its corresponding frame member, said top members lying one above the other when the table is unextended, a pair of foldable legs carried by each of said frame members, slide means separably connecting said frame members, said slide means comprising a plurality of interlocking and relatively movable members having tapered upper surfaces, said foldable legs being movable with each frame member to which they are attached, whereby the legs support the table at its outermost corners when the table is extended. 7 y

' MICHAEL A. WILKINSON. 

